Striving for Perfection
by shuisfull
Summary: Sequel to Starving for Perfection. Not my characters! I have no money so don't sue me!
1. Chapter 1

Tracy Turnblad didn't seem like it, but she was very traditional about some things. At twenty-two, she was a proud virgin and was going to stay that way until her wedding night. Fortunately for her, it was only two weeks away.

Yes, after six long years Tracy and Link were finally getting married. Together they had endured Tracy starving her self thin, Penny and Seaweed getting pregnant and married (in that order), Link starring on Broadway in a hit musical and in the Oscar-winning screen adaptation, Tracy's mother dying of a heart attack, and "The Corny Collins Show" going national with better rating than "American Bandstand". Tracy had moved to New York City a year ago and was still on the show but as Corny's co-host and to teach the audience the dance of the week. She and Link lived together in a small apartment in Greenwich Village, where no one thought that it was odd that an unmarried couple lived together.

They shared their one bedroom apartment with only two rules: that Tracy was going to be a virgin when they got married and if either one of them got to a point where they didn't think that they could stop, they had to sleep on the couch. There had been several nights where they flipped a coin to see who got the couch.

Tracy never returned to being a size eighteen, but she had gained back a significant amount of the weight she had lost back. She was now a healthy, curvaceous size ten and loved every part of her body. The only person who loved her body more than her was Link.

As Tracy made her way up the four flights of stairs to their apartment, she could smell Link's homemade spaghetti sauce wafting into her nose. She entered the apartment to find him at the stove in just his slacks.

"Now that's how I like to see a man, barefoot and in the kitchen." She snaked an arm around his muscular waist, lightly tickling him with her fingertips. He was always a sucker for being tickled.

"Oh, yeah? Well, you know how a like to see a woman?" He turned to face her, holding a wooden spoon filled with the sauce.

"How?"

"Eating my delicious food," he said as she dipped the spoon into her mouth to give her a taste. "How is it?"

"Delicious," she said, her voice breathy as her face neared his. She lightly kissed him, the kind of kiss that left him wanting more. Then she snapped out of it, going on about her business, putting her coat away, changing out of her dress into jeans and one of Link's old shirts with the sleeves rolled up.

"That's not fair," Link whined as she came out of their bedroom buttoning up her shirt.

"What? Did you want to wear this?" Tracy asked nonchalantly.

Link dropped the spoon back in the sauce and grabbed her hips, pulling her so that her back was against him. "I've got only two weeks to go and with you doing shit like that, it's not making it any easier on me."

Tracy grinded her backside against him, making him groan in pleasure. "Oh, am I making things _harder_?"

"Come one, Trace, I have to leave in an hour for call time and I'm not about to go onstage like this," he whispered in her ear as his hands left her hips and began undoing her shirt.

"Don't you need to eat before you go?" she asked, struggling not to give in.

"Who said that I wasn't going to eat?" he said, leading her towards the bedroom. Just as they reached the door, he said, "Almost forgot!" and ran back into the kitchen, turned off the stove and went back into the bedroom where, with a great leap, he tackled Tracy onto the bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Link rose from the bed with barely enough time to dress before he had to leave for the theater. Tracy was asleep, her hair going every which way and her fingers wiggling like they did when she was having a good dream. He kissed her forehead, gently so not to wake her, and left for work.

Ever since that Valentine's Day six years ago, he and Tracy had been inseparable. Their relationship greatly improved after Penny and Seaweed sat both of them down after Tracy was released from the hospital and made them be totally honest with one another. He explained to Tracy that he didn't trust himself to go further with her and she told him that was why she thought he didn't find her attractive anymore. It killed him to know that he was why she had practically starved herself to death. She didn't blame him; she knew that it was simply a misunderstanding but he still blamed himself.

He caught the uptown bus and hopped out at Times Square, walking the last two blocks to the stage door. He went in, where the stage manager, Mr. Pinscher, was waiting for him.

"Mr. Larkin, you're late," the old man informed him.

"Sorry, I… uh… got caught up at home," he said, blushing the moment the words left his mouth.

"Uh huh. How long until the wedding?" Pinscher asked with a chuckle.

"Two weeks."

"You're in the home stretch, son."

"Don't I know it."

Link walked down the hall but stopped as he heard Pinscher call after him, "There's a colored man waiting for you in your dressing room, Mr. Stubbs, I believe he said."

Link nodded thank you and went down the rickety stair to his small dressing room. Even though he was the male lead of this show, his dressing room was smaller than his bathroom at home. Seaweed sat on the counter in front of the mirror, looking at the pancake makeup strewn about.

"Man, I still don't know how you can bring yourself to wear this stuff," Seaweed said jokingly.

"No choice. Gotta wear it so the balcony can see my face." Link closed the door and sat in his chair to begin his make up. "And what are you talking about? You wear it too, just less of it in your show." Seaweed blushed. "What's up? You only come here if Penny's mad at you and you want Tracy to smooth things over for you."

"I don't think that Tracy can smooth this over." Seaweed's broad smile fell and he suddenly had a very worried look on his face. "Penny wants a divorce."

Link stared at his best friend. "What? Why?" He could think of nothing else to say. Sure, Seaweed and Penny fought a lot but they always worked things out in the end.

"She found out about Amber."

"Jesus, Seaweed…" Link ran his hands through his hair, not knowing what to say. "How did she find out?"

"Amber wrote her a letter and told her her version of what happened. I couldn't even try to deny it because the bitch actually described my birthmark."

"You don't have a birthmark," Link stated, picking up his puff and powdering the greasy paste dry.

"Not where you'd be looking."

"Oh…oh!" Link laughed at his stupidity.

"Yeah, and the fact that she could was proof enough for Penny. She's really pissed. I called your place about an hour ago to warn Tracy that Penny would probably be coming over but there was no answer."

"Um…yeah…she was…indisposed." Even through all the make up, Seaweed could see the bright red that was flooding Link's cheeks. He smirked at his friend's shyness, secretly envying how easy his relationship with Tracy was. "What about Evie? What's going to happen with her?"

"I don't know, man. Penny took her with her when she left this afternoon but she's my daughter, too."

"So the standard flowers and candy definitely aren't going to help here."

"No. Definitely not."

"You have to tell her your side of the story, Weed. She needs to know."

Seaweed stared at his shoes for a minute before saying, "And what if she doesn't believe me?"

"Then you did what you could. The only thing after that is groveling." The two laughed grimly while across town, Tracy was woken by the sound of banging on her front door. Throwing on her robe, she went to answer it.

Penny stood at her door, hair hanging limp around her shoulders. In one hand, she held a suitcase and in the other, the hand of her four year old daughter, Evie. "He cheated on me, Trace." Penny stated it matter-of-factly. "He slept with Amber." Tears began to fall down her cheeks and Penny allowed her self to drop both the suitcase and her daughter's hand and fall into the arms of her best friend.

"Come on in, Evie," Tracy said as she deposited the now sobbing Penny on the couch and went to retrieve the suitcase from the landing. Evie walked in timidly. She was definitely her mother's daughter. She was a shy little girl with Penny's big blue eyes and Seaweed's sweet smile. Her skin was a soft caramel and her straight, jet black hair was in pigtails. She walked on pins and needles to her mother and gently sat next to her, putting her little arms around her, trying to comfort her. "What happened, Penny?"

Penny tried to speak but her sobbing would not allow it to happen. After nearly an hour, she reached into her coat pocket and produced a folded pink envelope, offering it to Tracy. "Read it, it explains everything."

Tracy unfolded it and removed a sickly sweet piece of pink, floral, scented stationary. She knew who it was from immediately. Only one person would own, let alone use, such paper.

Dear Penny Stubbs,

I assume that you are that same little tramp that helped ruin my mother's show and my career by kissing that Negro boy, who is now your husband, on live television and encouraged that whore Tracy Turnblad in doing what she could to ruin us and steal my boyfriend. I am writing to inform you that four and half years ago, I had an affair with your husband. We ran into each other at an nightclub after his show opened on Broadway and returned to my apartment in less than an hour. I must say, you are incredibly lucky in your choice of husband…except for his color, that is. He was a most attentive lover and pleasured me for no less than two hours. Penny, I don't know if you know this, but he has the most adorable birthmark on the inside of his right thigh, shaped like Michigan.

Toodle-oo!

Amber Van Tussle

Tracy couldn't believe that this letter was real but here it was, in her hand, glowing Pepto-Bismol paper. "Penny, you can't really believe this trash."

"How can I not? Tracy, she knows what his birthmark looks like." Penny took Evie into her lap and held her, trying to calm herself. "And it was when I was pregnant. We had just gotten married, Trace. If he did it then, he might still be doing it."

Tracy dropped the letter to the floor and sat on the coffee table in front of Penny. "I don't believe that. Seaweed loves you and Evie too much to do that even once."

"But Tracy, she knew…"

"She knew, but I know. Someone probably told her that overheard us talking." Penny stared out the window across the room. "Penny, I promise you, I don't think that this is true."

"Really?"

"Really." Tracy looked at Evie, falling asleep in her mother's arms. "Why don't I get dressed and change the sheets and you can put Evie in the bedroom."

"Are you sure? We can take the couch."

"No, I insist. Besides, Link and I are used to the couch." Tracy put her jeans and shirt back on and changed the sheets for her friend. She glanced out the window, down to the street and saw Link and Seaweed walking towards the building. She rushed back out into the living room. Evie was now completely asleep and Penny was gently rocking her. "You can lay her down if you want, she'll be more comfortable."

Penny nodded and carried her little girl into the next room. Tracy ran to the door to open it before Penny heard the sound of Link's keys. The two men were just reaching the landing when she saw them and the look on her face was enough to kill both of them.

"Seaweed J. Stubbs, you better have an explanation. Your wife has been here the past three hours crying her eyes out." Tracy spoke in a hushed but severe tone that they had never heard from her before.

"Tracy, he can explain," Link said, trying to calm her.

"You knew about this? And you didn't say anything? You kept this secret for him for nearly five years?" She stepped towards them and they instinctively stepped back.

"Yes. No. Yes. I mean…" Link couldn't think of how to answer such a loaded question.

"Tracy, is she still here?" Seaweed asked.

"Yes, she's putting your daughter to bed." Tracy turned with a huff back into the apartment. Link and Seaweed followed her in, shutting the door behind them.

"Hey, Tracy," Penny said, leaving the bedroom, "if it okay if Evie sleeps with your teddy bear? We forgot hers—" She stopped suddenly at the sight of Seaweed by the door. "Get out."

"Penny, I can explain—"

"Explain what? Explain how when I was on bed rest with your daughter using me as a punching bag you were out cavorting with every slut in Manhattan?!" Penny was seething. She hadn't even been this mad when her mother tried to sabotage her wedding. Penny collapsed back on to the couch.

"Penny, please, I'm begging you. Please just listen to me." Seaweed got onto his knees in front of her.

Penny looked at her watch. "You've got five minutes."

And with a deep breath, Seaweed began to tell her his side of the story.


	3. Chapter 3

Seaweed moved to sit next to Penny on the couch. "I did see Amber at the nightclub Link and I went to after our show opened. She kept trying to come on to Link so I tried to divert her attention to another guy in the cast but instead she focused on me. She started telling me about how Corny broke up with her and her roommates hated her and she didn't live in a safe neighborhood." He took a breath and continued, "I offered to walk her home since she didn't live to far away from the club. I walked her to her stoop and turned around as soon as I thought she was inside. Then I heard her scream so I ran back."

"Why would you go back?" Penny asked in disbelief.

"She had said that two girls on her block had been attacked the week before so I thought she'd been jumped. When I got back to her building, I couldn't see her around." Seaweed twisted his gold wedding band around his finger. "Then it all goes blank. I think she hit me over the head with something. I woke up a little while later with a headache and I was naked in a bed. She was asleep next to me. I dressed as fast as I could, left and came home to you. I don't remember sleeping with her. I don't think that I could have even if I wanted to."

"That was the night you came home covered in blood…" Penny said, having an epiphany as she said it.

"What?" Seaweed snapped out of his story and looked at his wife.

"You came home at four in the morning. You said you'd been mugged and beaten up. You had a big cut on your forehead." Penny was starting to tear up. "You had so much blood on you, Seaweed, I thought that you were going to die." Seaweed wrapped his arms around her, drawing Penny into his lap and they cried together. Tracy and Link stood awkwardly to the side, watching their two best friends reconcile.

Seaweed touched his forehead to hers. "Let's go home, Penny." Penny nodded and started to head to the bedroom to wake Evie.

"Just leave her, Penny, she'll be fine here. I'll drop her off in morning," Tracy said.

"Thanks, Tracy, Link." Penny hugged them both and left their apartment hand-in-hand with her husband.

"Well, I'm glad that's over," Link said with a smile.

"Link," Tracy sat on the couch and nervously twiddled with her engagement ring. "Why didn't you tell me about Amber?"

"Because it wasn't my place to tell anyone. Seaweed told me in confidence. I wasn't going to betray his trust, Tracy," Link said, going to the refrigerator and getting two bottles of Coke out. He handed one to Tracy and sat next to her. "He had to tell someone and he didn't want to tell Penny since her pregnancy was so difficult and the doctor said that she should to try to avoid as many stressful situations as possible." He stretched out on the couch, his head in Tracy's lap. "I didn't tell you about it because you would have wanted to tell Penny and, let's face it, Trace, you couldn't keep a secret if your life depended on it." He chuckle at Tracy's indignant look to his last remark.

"I could have kept it from her," she pouted.

"No, you couldn't have," he laughed, dodging her playful smacks aimed at his head. "Why does it worry you that I didn't tell you about Amber?"

Tracy got a grave look on her face, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "I don't know, it just makes me wonder… it makes me wonder what secrets Seaweed is keeping for you." She spoke so softly that Link could barely hear her.

Link sat up, putting his arms around his fiancé and whispered, "I have none that need to be kept from you." He kissed her nose and was about to continue their activities from earlier in the day when a small voice broke their little bubble.

"Auntie Tracy, where'd my mommy go?" Evie padded over to the couch in her nightgown and holding Tracy's teddy bear. Link lifted her up and sat her in his lap as she rubbed her eyes.

"Your daddy came by and they went home so you get to have a sleep over with me and Uncle Link tonight!" Tracy told her.

Evie smiled at Tracy but she began to fall back asleep as Link began to rock her gently. "Can I go back to bed?"

"Yes, sweetheart." Tracy cupped the little girl's chin in her hand. "Do you need me to tuck you in?"

Evie shook her head and tottled back to the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

"That is the most independent child I have ever seen in my life," Link said, staring after her. Tracy stretched out on the couch, this time with her head in Link's lap. "Wait, why does she get the bed and we get stuck on the couch?"  
"Because she's four and it's after midnight."

"True." Link kicked off his shoes and took off his shirt. Tracy removed her head from his lap and he stretched out next to her. Tracy turned so that they were spooning. With their arms wrapped around one another, they fell asleep peacefully, thankful for the simplicity of their lives.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry this is so short! I've been sick for the past week and couldn't really think of anything else with this story for now. Please review! Input is always appreciated!**

Tracy and Link's wedding was only one day away! They weren't having a big, traditional wedding, that wasn't who they were. They were content with a quick civil ceremony at City Hall with just their family and a few friends. Mr. Turnblad and Link's parents were going to be there, of course, as were Seaweed, Penny, Evie, Corny, Maybelle and Inez. Those nine people meant more to them than anything in the world.

That evening, Tracy packed an overnight bag with pajamas, her toothbrush, some make up, and her wedding dress. She was going to stay over at Penny and Seaweed's. She would be back tomorrow night with Link and the morning after, they'd be hopping on a plane for Miami where they would board a cruise for the Bahamas. As she zipped her bag shut, she collapsed on the bed, her hair flying in every direction on the mattress.

All she could think of was that she and Link were finally getting married tomorrow and that tomorrow night, she'd be back in this bed with Link and no one would wind up sleeping on the couch.

"Trace! Penny's going to be here any minute!" Link called from the living room. She didn't answer him. "Trace?" Link went into their bedroom and smiled at the sight of his fiancée staring up at the sky from their bed. She didn't hear him come in and still seemed oblivious to him standing there. He smirked and gingerly crawled over her, careful not to touch her. He lightly kissed her nose. That snapped her out of her daze. "Hello, stranger. You looked far away."

Tracy wrapped her arms around Link. "Not far, just in the future."

"The future?" Link settled next to Tracy and she turned on her side to face him.

"Yeah. About 24 hours in the future. When we're back here. Together." Tracy traced his jaw line with her index finger.

"And I won't wind up on the couch?" Link said with mock seriousness.

"Absolutely not. You might get so sick of me that I'm going to wind up on the couch." Tracy giggled, pressing her forehead to his. Link took her hand and kissed it tenderly.

"That's not going to happen." They wrapped their arms around each other, enjoying their last few minutes together before Tracy had to leave for the night. All too soon, they head Penny knocking on their front door. Tracy kissed Link goodbye, got her bag, and left their apartment for the last time as Tracy Turnblad.


End file.
